Internet Danger #4: Damaged Reputations

Camera phones, digital cameras and web cams are everywhere these days, and kids can be victims of their own inexperience with new technology. Many post pictures, videos or notes online that they later regret. "Think before you post, because once you do, it's going to be up there forever," Shehan says.

A child's online reputation is a growing concern, Aftab says, with the rise of online social networking and profiles. She cites reports of schools and employers rejecting young people for high school programs, internships, college admissions and jobs after checking out what applicants have posted online.

Many teenage girls put up provocative photos of themselves, Shehan says. Why? Handy - a teenager herself - believes it's a game of one-upmanship. "Kids are trying to look cool. They're doing it because everyone else is doing it. A girl will see a picture and say, 'Oh, I can top that.' And before you know it, she's half-naked on the Internet for everybody to see."

Internet Danger #3: Pornography

One of the worst dangers of the Internet, for many parents, is the idea that pornography could pop up and surprise their children. But parents may not realize that some kids are going online to seek out web porn, too.

You can view the Internet browser history to see which websites your child is visiting, Shehan says. But since kids can delete this history, you may want to install Internet filtering software to block porn sites in the first place.

Software filters aren't a perfect solution; some nasty sites can slip through, while educational or family-rated sites may be blocked. So while some parents may wonder whether monitoring means they're spying on their kids, the safety factor often wins out. "If you get the monitoring software, put it on the computer and forget that it's there," Aftab says. That way, if someone's viewing porn, you'll have the records to deal with it.

Internet Danger #2: Sexual Predators

The online world opens the door for trusting young people to interact with virtual strangers - even people they'd normally cross the street to avoid in real life. About 1 in 7 kids have been sexually solicited online, says John Shehan, CyberTipline program manager for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Alexandria, Virginia. The CyberTipline helps prevent sexual exploitation of children by reporting cases of kids enticed online to do sexual acts.

While sexual predators have targeted children in chat rooms, they migrate to wherever young people go online, Shehan says. More predators are now scouring social networking sites, such as MySpace and Xanga, because these sites have centralized so much information, Shehan says. A child's profile typically includes photos, personal interests and blogs.

"In terms of predators, that's obviously a hot spot where they can go to research victims," Shehan says. "They need to meet these kids, groom these children and become friends."

Predators may take on fake identities and feign interest in a child's favorite bands, TV shows, video games or hobbies. "They come across to the children as their new best friend. They're going to have the same likes and dislikes," Shehan says. "It's quite crafty what these child predators will go through."

Internet Danger #1: Cyberbullying

On the Internet, cyberbullying takes various forms, says Netsmartz411.org, an online resource that educates parents about Internet safety. Cyberbullying includes sending hateful messages or even death threats to children, spreading lies about them online, making nasty comments on their social networking profiles, or creating a website to bash their looks or reputation.

Cyberbullying differs from schoolyard bullying, Handy says. Teachers can't intervene on the Internet. "When it happens online, there's no one to filter it," she says. And cyberbullies don't witness their victims' reactions, the way they might if they insulted others to their faces. "They don't see you crying," Handy says, which may make it easier for them to continue.

Some cyberbullies pose as their victims and send out harassing messages to others. Recently, cyberbullies have also begun posting humiliating videos of other kids they dislike, says Parry Aftab, a cyberspace security and privacy lawyer who also serves as executive director of WiredSafety.org, one of the largest Internet safety education groups in the world.

In the age of YouTube, a website that hosts videos shot by users, "Kids are looking for their 15 megabytes of fame," Aftab says. "They do it to show that they're big enough, popular enough, cool enough to get away with it."

Often, kids don't tell parents they're being cyberbullied; they're afraid their parents will overreact or yank Internet privileges, Aftab adds. Her advice? If your son or daughter tells you, stay calm. If it's a one-time thing, try to ignore the bully and block future contact, she says. But if the cyberbullying involves any physical threat, you may need to call the police.